Will a Rotator Cuff Tear Heal Without Surgery?

Will a rotator cuff tear heal on it’s own? Will it get bigger without surgical repair?

These are common questions asked by many of the 40,000 patients each year that opt for surgery to repair their torn rotator cuff. The answers to these queries contribute to a patient’s decision on whether to have surgery, but may also create a sense of urgency to jump into a procedure that may very well be unnecessary.

Will a Rotator Cuff Tear Get Bigger Without Surgery?

A recent research study showed that even a complete tear wasn’t very likely to get bigger. In this study, 24 patients who had full thickness supraspinatus tears and who opted to forego surgery were tracked over time. In 2 of the 24 patients, the rotator cuff tear completely healed on its own. In 9 of the 24 the tear was smaller. In another 9 out of the 24 patients the rotator cuff tear size didn’t change. In only 6 of the 24 patients, the tear was found to be bigger. So in 75% of the patients, the tear was either healed, smaller, or didn’t change.

Rotator Cuff Tears and Muscle Atrophy

This phenomenon can occur and involves the rotator cuff muscles shrinking and being replaced by fat. While there was a slight trend in that direction, no patient had serious fatty atrophy at follow-up. In addition, this study is consistent with another study that shows that the size of a rotator cuff tear is more likely than not to stay stable.

Will a Rotator Cuff Heal Without Surgery?

Using the data from the studies above, it is safe to say that a few rotator cuff tears will heal on their own without intervention and that surgery really isn’t that great of an option.

One of the problems with surgery is that when a rotator cuff tears on its own, or with minor trauma, the tissue has become very unhealthy. This is caused by the structure of the tendon becoming weak and degenerated. Based on new research, rotator cuff tears are linked to a reduction in the natural number of functional stem cells in the tissue. While this may come as a surprise that your body maintains itself via adult stem cells living in tissue, that’s how it works.

Can You Skip the Surgery Altogether by Just Using Your Own Stem Cells?

If you’ve ever seen anyone walking around in a pillow immobilizer brace for weeks on end, you intuitively know that surgery is horribly invasive. What if for about 70-80% of rotator cuff tears you could avoid the surgery and have a much quicker recovery? That’s the procedure that we have pioneered over the last decade. Instead of surgery, you get an ultra-precise injection of your own stem cells under ultrasound guidance.

Rotator cuff tears are one of the most commonly treated conditions across the Regenexx Network and we consistently see good outcomes in these patients. Having said that, while most tears will heal with just a precise injection, there are a few massive rotator cuff tears that are unlikely to be helped without surgery. Keep in mind that even after surgery, stem cell injections, as discussed in the study above, will likely assist in the healing and improvement of tissue health following surgery.

The upshot? Surgeons frequently tell patients that their rotator cuff tears will get bigger over time if surgery isn’t performed immediately. According to research, waiting to see if the tear heals or gets smaller might make a lot of sense. If you’re like most people with a rotator cuff tear, you will likely be able to skip the invasive surgery altogether! Lastly, to ensure the best chance of success, select a Regenexx Network Physician, who are all trained in ultra-precise injection techniques, and will determine whether the Regenexx patented stem cell protocol or super concentrated platelet rich plasma is the best treatment option for the severity and condition of your rotator cuff tear.

Shoulder / Rotator Cuff Patient Outcome Data

This outcome information summarizes the patient registry data for shoulders treated with the Regenexx same day stem cell procedure using the patient’s own stem cells. It was comprised of a mix of patients with rotator cuff tears, arthritis, labral tears, and instability.

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*DISCLAIMER: Like all medical procedures, Regenexx® Procedures have a success and failure rate. Patient reviews and testimonials on this site should not be interpreted as a statement on the effectiveness of our treatments for anyone else.

Chris Centeno, M.D. is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications. Centeno regularly lectures on regenerative medicine and has spoken twice at the Vatican Stem Cell Conference, as well as the NFL Combine.

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*DISCLAIMER: Like all medical procedures, Regenexx® Procedures have a success and failure rate. All patient reviews and testimonials on this site should not be interpreted as a statement on the effectiveness of our treatments for anyone else.

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Disclaimer

*DISCLAIMER: Like all medical procedures, Regenexx® Procedures have a success and failure rate. Patient reviews and testimonials on this site should not be interpreted as a statement on the effectiveness of our treatments for anyone else.